Sectors

At the IsDB, we are incredibly proud of the work we do to aid the development of our 57 member nations. The financing we provide reaches, and provides meaningful changes to, nearly one fifth of the world’s population. In order to have the greatest impact, we believe it is important to have a diverse portfolio of sectors where we allocate our financing, and we focus our work on the following areas:

Science, technology and innovation (STI)

Science, technology and innovation are continuously recognized as strategic drivers of economic growth. With the right tools, and the right environment, innovators and the business community can tap in to the potential of STI to develop innovative solutions to the development issues facing their communities.

We launched the first ever online platform for the developing world, Engage, which aims to connect innovations with market opportunities and funding. To further ensure that innovators, start-ups and corporations have access to a steady flow of financing facilities, the IsDB established the Transform fund in tandem with Engage. This $500m fund is one of the largest of its kind and specifically focused on finding innovative solutions to global development challenges.

Infrastructure

A resilient, sustainable infrastructure network plays a crucial role in ensuring the continued economic growth of developing countries. By investing in urban and agricultural development, as well as the energy and transport requirements that these areas demand, we can continue to enable our projects to maintain and enhance and their impact under a sustainable model.

Education

Education is the key to unleashing the potential of future generations, and that’s why we fund skills and education training – especially for women and young people in rural areas – that enables access to the labour market and improves their life prospects. The IsDB Scholarship Programmes aim to promote excellence in science within our member countries and amongst Muslim communities in non-member countries. To date, we have supported over 13,000 students, with funding of US$133.7 million, and 90% of graduates have returned to their respective countries to join their home institutions.

Health

As a cornerstone for human development, the Health sector is a priority area for the IsDB. We focus on the prevention and control of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, improving access to and the quality of healthcare services, and reducing financial barriers to access of available resources.

Humanitarian Relief

We believe we have a crucial role to play in providing Humanitarian Relief across the world. Our member states include 26 of the world’s poorest nations, which are especially vulnerable to natural disasters and the impact of climate change. By investing in these countries and funding projects, we aim to improve the quality of life for people living there.

Women & Girls

To combat poverty and drive development, it’s vital to tap, and unleash, the potential of everyone. That’s why we’re committed to supporting Women and Girls across the world. We do this by targeting access to finance, education/school enrolment and health programmes, including maternal health – areas that traditionally have proven to be barriers to greater female emancipation.